Haunting
by Ignite the Airwaves
Summary: Probably oneshot. Reid doesn't realize in the interrogation room that he's about to run into a very old enemy. One who wants revenge. T for violence and language.


AN- Hi, this is my very first Criminal Minds fic. Saying that, I'd like to add that I have seen more than a handful of episodes, but the characters may be a little OOC, because they're much more complex than the characters I usually write fics about.

Also, an important note- there are OFFENSIVE TERMS used in this fic. I do not condone the use of them, but the person that says them is using them as taunts that I think would really fit his character. If you'd be offended by some offensive terms, please do not read.

Thanks, I hope you enjoy.

Haunting

Reid had a habit of writing his mother a letter every day, but there were so many stories he just couldn't have put to words unless he saw her in person. He wanted to watch her as she heard them, see how the stories captivated her. When stopping by for a case in Las Vegas, Reid knew he had to go and see her. He was grateful Hotch had permitted it.

"So then JJ reached over and grabbed the gun…" Reid was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. His mother's previously transfixed expression relaxed as she realized the noise was coming from his pocket and wasn't part of the story.

"Sorry, mom. Just one second." He got up from the couch. "Morgan?"

"Yeah, man. Sorry to bother you. Prentiss is bringing in the UnSub right now, but there's evidence he has a partner, and we just missed him. Hotch, Rossi, and I are going to go after the partner, so Hotch wants you to interrogate our UnSub."

"Why me? What about Prentiss?" Reid asked, already feeling a bit anxious. He had never been fond of interrogations. Even with the UnSubs restrained, he still felt weaker than them. He wasn't Morgan or Hotch. He couldn't be intimidating.

"After she brings in the UnSub, we need her out in the field. It looks like our main UnSub only abducted the men. The partner abducted women. I hate to say this, but Hotch said that if it comes down to it, we'll need to use Prentiss."

Reid grimaced and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, okay. I'll get right over." He hung up the phone and sighed. Turning back to his mother, he frowned.

"Mom? I have to go now, for work. I'm sorry, I'll be back when I'm done."

"And finish that story?" She smiled, then waved her hand dismissively. "Go, go. I see you have more important things to do," she teased.

"Bye mom." He kissed her cheek. Reid was hardly even outside before his phone rang again.

"Hello?"

"Reid, Prentiss will be there in five. I don't know if Morgan's told you, but I need you to interrogate the UnSub. If you find anything else, call us immediately. Be careful, Reid, this one is violent."

"Yeah, Hotch," he blinked, "Um…thanks." The call ended and Reid held his phone out in front of his face, staring at it blankly. Had that been _concern_? Taking a deep breath, Reid got into his car and headed over to the police station. The drive was faster than he had expected.

He was immediately greeted by Prentiss as he walked in. "Guy's in the interrogation room. The rest of the police squad's out looking for the other UnSub right now."

"Want to help?" Reid feebly suggested.

"I would," there was concern in her eyes, "But Hotch ordered me to go with them as soon as you showed up. Sorry Reid, I've got to go." She bustled past him, and he called back before she was out the door.

"What's his name?"

"Arnold Evans," she called. "Case file is on the desk."

Reid nodded and watched her leave. He couldn't delay it any longer; he picked up the file and entered the interrogation room. It was darker than he could remember- it looked like one of the bulbs had blown out in the overhead lights. He was inclined to go get a replacement, but then he realized that in doing so, he was only going to delay the interrogation. Why was he dreading this so much?

He sat down and placed the case file delicately on the table. He squinted at the UnSub, but the blown light bulb had thrown the man's face into shadow. "I'm Dr. Spencer Reid," he said, "I'm just going to ask you a few questions."

"No fucking way." The man's voice was awestruck. "No. Fucking. Way."

"Excuse me?" The bad feeling was spreading out through his entire body; he could feel his muscles tensing with fear. That voice…

"You should know, you little _fag_."

Reid's head shot up, his face pale. He tried to control his voice. "Your- your name isn't Arnold Evans."

"Do you remember me _now_, Spencey? Huh?" He leaned forward, and his face was thrown into the light. He grinned, and Reid felt his chest tighten.

"What do you know about these three murders?" Spencer, hands shaking, pushed the pictures across the table. He had to do this. After all this time, he couldn't let him win. The team would be back soon. He'd make Hotch take over the interrogation for him, no matter how embarrassing.

"I know that they're nothing compared to what I'll do to you," he leered.

"Is- is it true that all of these male victims were sex-sexually assaulted?" his voice faltered. He couldn't meet the murderer's eyes.

He leaned forward until his mouth was at Spencer's ear. "Yes," he breathed. Gagging, Reid pushed his chair back and got to his feet.

"No, not yet. We haven't finished just yet." He rose from his chair. Reid realized with a pang that his hands were only bound by handcuffs …in _front_ of his body.

"Johnny, it's obvious from the record that you spent a childhood tormenting children due to the own abuse you were subjected to by your father. When the release of bullying and public humiliation ran dry, you were forced to turn to killing to find a new release."

"_Shut. Up,_" Johnny spat. His eyes were red and his hands shook with anger. Reid gulped but continued.

"Then you teamed up with a partner, not just so he could take care of women and change your victimology, but because you were intensely lonely, as your antisocial behaviors had made you an outcast-,"

"Stop!" he screamed.

"And you know why you're targeting these men?" He fumbled around the words, his voice cracking, but he continued. "Because you don't just need a release, you have a grudge. You're killing thin white men in their late twenties. You… you want to kill _me_."

Johnny screamed and lunged forward, knocking Reid to the ground. Reid struggled to get to his feet, but the handcuffed wrists swung at his face and he fell down again and suddenly the handcuffs were gone and the wrists were attacking him, punching at every part of his body, and he could hardly breathe for the pain. Then his hands were pinned over his head by one beefy arm and he could feel a cold hand ripping open his shirt and Reid whimpered.

"Don't worry, you fag. You're going to like it. I promise," Johnny whispered, a demented smile creeping up on his face. "I got something past the police that I'm sure you'd like. This room is soundproofed, isn't it?"

"Stop it, please. You don't have to do this. You're not thinking rationally. The repercussions-,"

"Oh, but Dr. Reid, you said it yourself. I _want_ to kill you." And then Spencer screamed, because something sharp had been thrust into his stomach, pulled agonizingly slowly as it cut open his skin. He watched the rusty nail glint against the lights. The lights…they were blurring. _No_.

"There, there, Spencey, it could always be _worse_." With that word he turned the nail in Spencer's skin, and his face tightened with pain as he cried out.

"Please…," he gasped. "Please." Johnny's hand went to Spencer's belt, and he squirmed, even more frantic. "Please, stop!" he choked. He tried to get up, and almost succeeded, but Johnny grabbed his hair and threw his head into the cement wall. Reid's body crumpled onto the floor and Johnny got on his knees.

Suddenly, the door flew off of its hinges and hit the wall, and there were all of these hands around him, pulling Johnny away from him, pushing Reid back to the floor. Reid let out a strangled noise, and felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, man, you alright? Hey, look at me." Morgan tried to meet Reid's eyes, but the latter's were still frozen on the spot where Johnny had just been. "Reid? Come on!" Morgan's voice was a little more frantic, and Reid felt a different hand on his other arm, a colder one.

"Reid, it's Prentiss. Listen to me, okay? There's an ambulance on the way. I need you to show me what he did." Emily was doing the best to keep her voice calm, but this was _Reid_, bleeding and shaking on the floor. They had been through Hankel together, but being this close to Reid so immediately after the fact was terrifying.

Reid locked eyes with Prentiss and looked away immediately. His trembling hand moved aside his shirt to show a crude, bloody etching on his stomach.

_Fag_.

He gagged and looked away, his eyes watering. Morgan cursed and stood, walking over to Hotchner, who was watching from a stony distance.

"How is he?"

"Hotch, you shouldn't have put him in here alone."

"Morgan, Reid has done plenty of interrogations before; if there was an old enemy, a conflict of interest, Garcia would have seen it."

"He changed his name," Reid wheezed. "He- he changed his name." Noticing the attention from the two men, he looked away, and aided Prentiss in pressing tatters of his shirt to the wound.

"Look," Morgan lowered his voice, "He's hurt right now, and I know it's nobody's fault. Let's just make sure that the bastard doesn't get away with it."

Hotch nodded grimly. "Of course not. He's being put in the local prison under twenty-four hour police supervision. I swear, Morgan, we won't let him out of our sight."

In the corner of the room, Emily's vision was a tad blurry. She refused to think that her detached strategy of compartmentalizing had failed, so she fought the tears with everything she had. She was surprised when Reid spoke. His eyes were fixated on some point ahead, anywhere but her.

"In high school. He was the one that tied me to the flagpole. He got expelled three weeks later. That's not why. It was another reason, something with the girls' locker room. But he blamed me for it, I knew he did."

"Reid…"

He looked directly at her, as if just realizing that she was there. His face softened when he saw the redness around her eyes.

"Prentiss. Emily." He put a hand on the side of her head. "Don't cry." He plucked a quarter from behind her ear and pressed it into her hand. His eyes were watering and his hands shook, but he remained focused on her. "Please, don't cry." His tone was pleading now.

If Prentiss was going to cry, how could he possibly be strong?

"Medics are here," Morgan called. "Reid, I'll ride with you."

"I don't need to go to the hospital for this," Reid mumbled.

"You better go, man. Don't make me kick you in your skinny white ass." Morgan's attempt at a joke did not go unnoticed by Reid.

"Fine, fine."He raised his hands in a halfhearted gesture of surrender. They were all trying to make it all seem okay. Normal, even. As Reid realized this, he felt even sicker than before.

But then the medics got to him and stretched him out carefully and carried him away, and Reid closed his eyes and fell asleep.

AN- Was it okay? Horrible? I just couldn't get this idea out of my mind. Please tell me what you think, what I could work on in terms of character development, etc, etc. Thanks for reading!


End file.
